very busy on weekend mornings but so worth the wait! the…read morepenguin special (maple latte, cold foam, black sea salt) was amazing. staff let me know you can watch them roast the beans on site during the weekdays, and the interior has a nice rustic feel. even as someone not well versed with coffee quality, you can really taste it here. they supply beans to cafes locally so look out for those (:

Love the aesthetic and the workers are nice, but parking is difficult to find as there's only 1…read moredesignated spot in the lot. Otherwise will need to find and get lucky street parking. The speciality matcha drink I got wasn't good, and the lack of AC is probably the worst part. Very muggy and stuffy and unless you sat right by the fans/portable AC unit they had, would start sweating. Had to step outside because it was cooler than indoors. Wouldn't return because of how uncomfortably hot it was unless the AC just happened to be broken that day.

I originally left this review after trying their cortado. The coffee itself was smooth, easy to…read moredrink, and tasted solid overall, but my main critique was the execution of the drink specifically as a cortado. The milk was a bit too foamy and aerated, giving it more of a cappuccino or small flat white feel rather than the denser, more integrated texture I'd expect from a traditional cortado. There were also quite a few visible bubbles on the surface, and it lacked the glossy, velvety texture that really helps bring the espresso and milk together. It also wasn't served in a proper cortado-sized vessel, which contributed to the drink feeling further removed from a traditional cortado. Service during my visit was friendly and straightforward. I'm updating my review after unexpectedly meeting the owner at Coffee Fest Los Angeles. I introduced myself and mentioned that I was the person who had left this review, and he immediately knew exactly which review I was talking about. Rather than being defensive about the criticism, he told me they genuinely appreciated the review and the feedback. What I respected even more was hearing that they actually took the feedback back to the team. He told me they had a meeting about always doing their best to make sure each drink is served as well as possible, and that if a drink genuinely isn't right, they're willing to remake it. That interaction gave me a lot more respect for the business. It's easy to accept positive feedback, but being willing to listen to constructive criticism, discuss it with your team, and use it as an opportunity to improve says a lot about an owner and how much they care about what they're serving. That's the kind of owner I respect. After meeting him and having that conversation, I would absolutely return whenever I'm back in the area and give the cortado another try.

A chill, unassuming coffee shop in El Segundo - quite small, but with free parking, a variety of…read morecoffee and tea options, and drinks that hit the spot. This is a place to come and hang out, work, study, or people watch a bit. There's a few tables inside, and a handful outside. We had iced coffees with oatmilk and honey vanilla sweetener - a first for me. I didn't like the sound of lemon vanilla, but others seem to like it. Drink prices and portions seem to be on-par with comparable places like Offset and Butterfly. Baristas were a bit hands-off when we ordered and asked questions about the menu, but not dismissive. The shop was quiet, I don't even remember any music playing. Some whispers and light conversation. I would return if I had the urge for coffee and was already in the area.

I recently tried an online order from ME & MY UNCLE COFFEE, or www.mamucoffee.com, and was blown…read moreaway by the quality of the roast. I went with a bag of LOS CAMACOS, which is a varietal of beans from Nicaragua consisting of: catarra, catuai, bourbon, catimor, & marogogype. and has a taste of dried dates, cherimoya, blood orange, and toasted almonds. It was delicious. It's not a brick & mortar just yet, but I hear rumors one day...The mail order process on their website listed above was easy and quick, and they even came out with cool new swag with their funny logo....give it a shot!

COME HERE IF YOU LOVE SPECIALTY COFFEE…read more DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU LOOK FOR: PRETTY LOOKING/LAYERED SUGAR BOMB DRINKS (nothing wrong with that though! Just wanting to help with expectations if you've never been here.) This place serves purely traditional coffee. I'm new to living in this area in LA (I come from Orange County) and have been trying to visit the coffee shops out here. So far, this is THE BEST from what I've tried so far in terms of specialty coffee. (I don't have a long list that I've visited yet) It's quite refreshing actually, to see a coffee shop that's PURELY specialty coffee. No frills or thrills, just traditional basics done well. Decor is great. I tried the emerald series espresso as a flat white (two of them) which is marketed as rare and exotic. I didn't want to read much too much into it at the moment. I was just wanting my caffeine fix. Both together came out to around $17 (oof!) They at least handed us 2 oz samples of coffee. Presentation of the drinks were done well. You can tell that they really care about the craft because we were waiting unnecessarily long on a slow day. I over heard a 'How did that pull?' while waiting. I appreciate the care.

Drove by here a bunch of times and always had on my list to try. Today was finally the day, as I…read morewas going to try a different coffee shop, but they had no parking. I was able to nab a spot almost out front for this shop. The workers are nice. Although, the issue I had was the guy making the drinks tried to give my pastry to another customer. Also, there was a female customer he knew that would not stop talking to him. She seemed to be flirting with him and distracting him. Like gurrrrrl, stop you are gonna make him mess up my order and wasting time because he's going slower to talk to you. He already seemed to be behind on orders.

While more on the expensive side, my Matcha Latte at Verve was smooth, creamy, and had a nice…read moreearthy flavor without being too bitter, even without syrup. It was simple and had a good balance between the matcha and milk. Good service and atmosphere, and good location close to the beach.

Verve is a cold coffee spot located in Manhattan Beach. Super nice area plenty of parking and…read morethere's a lot of shops around but it was pretty quiet. Nice chill vibe to it. The service was good and the hot chocolate came out pretty fast and my friend drinks also came out pretty fast. So I'm not a big coffee person, but I got their hot chocolate and it was cool. I'd like that I had a little whipped cream flour on top of it. The presentation of it was awesome as far as the hot chocolate itself. It was OK. It's not the best hot chocolate I've had good flavor, good consistency, but it could've had something more. I'm not exactly what the more could've been but it was OK.

I'd been to the El Segundo location of Offset once before, a few years ago, and didn't love it, but…read moreI found the Manhattan Beach location to be considerably better. I don't quite remember when this location but I believe it's been here for less than a year. Since our first visit here, we've been here multiple times and I've enjoyed their flavored matcha drinks and coffees. There isn't much in the way of ambiance because there's only a tiny section of the store to stand in to order, and then you have to wait on the street to get your coffee. Service has always been friendly and quick. They also have a range of pastries available. I've liked the drinks on a number of occasions here, however when we visited last weekend, I got an unsweetened matcha latte that just tasted like almond milk. I would recommend visiting this place if you just want a grab and go coffee.

Been hooked on their strawberry matcha! Best one in town…read more Doesn't have that bitter aftertaste that matcha drinks usually have and it's not too sweet either. Just perfection.

Had the chance to stop by The Boy & The Bear, and had a great experience! We tried the mango matcha…read moreand iced mocha, and both were delicious during a hot day! Service was really quick too. They have their own parking lot, which made it quick and easy to find a spot. There was a lot of tables inside for people to sit and enjoy their drinks or do work!

I came here while I was waiting for my car to be serviced at Toyota, and I'm so glad I did. Not…read moreonly is the staff incredibly kind, but the food and coffee are delicious. You can also tell that a lot of care and thought went into designing this space. I'm obsessed with the blue tile and the perfectly coordinated retail wall. While I was here, I saw such a wide variety of customers, which I loved. You can tell everyone is welcome and that people genuinely feel comfortable spending time here. Lastly, I wanted to shout out the two employees working on 7/31 around 8:00 a.m ("BigVee" & a gentleman with longer hair who made my avocado toast) They were both so friendly and welcoming. It was early, so I would've understood if they were still waking up, but they were both bubbly, kind, and made my morning a little brighter. If a manager sees this, please let them know how amazing they are!

Haven't been to this location in more than a year because they became sloppy with their hot latte…read more The girl baristas made bad coffee, and the customer service lacked luster. But I went in today at 5:10pm on a Sunday and Mauricio had a great personality + customer service + latte skills. He did not rush anything or anyone, just made a beautiful looking and great tasting drink! Ordered a hot nico, no half and half, substitute almond milk.

The guy that made my drink put it in a to-go cup. I didn't specify dine-in or take-out. He me…read moremade another fresh drink. :) I got the Dolcezza and it's superb. So good. Not too sweet. And he was able to make it half-caff. Chef's kiss. The scone was so good, the texture, the flavor was spot on! The cute little bookstore next door was the icing on the cake.

As a consistent customer of smoky hollow, I'm really disappointed with my recent visits to this…read morecoffee shop. The customer service has noticeably gone downhill. One of the employees in particular has been consistently unpleasant, making the experience feel unwelcoming the moment you walk in. Simple questions or requests are met with attitude instead of courtesy. From the long wait times to the employee taking a nap on the sofa, there has generally been a decline in the customer service in this establishment. On top of that, the quality of the drinks has declined. The espresso is clearly burnt and orders have been inconsistent, poorly made, and definitely not worth the price anymore. This used to be one of my favorite spots, but the combination of rude service and declining drink quality makes it hard to justify coming back. I hope management addresses these issues soon.

When I can't make my lattes at home or when I don't meal prep...this is my go-to…read more This place is quick and convenient. It's seems to be 3 consistent staff members that work here, 2 men and a woman...They are very friendly and always playing good music. I do have to say, they seem to giving "millennial/ Gen X vibes". The woman 90% of the time her face is in her phone, most times she doesn't notice people approaching or even when their standing in front of her. But she seems to be getting better at looking up. As long as my order is correct, I really don't if she is on her phone or not. It's always clean and never a line when I come in. There are plenty of places to sit and work if needed. I usually get my two favorites: California Street and A Chi Latte with oat milk. I am in love with the California Street bagel sandwich, always made when ordered and always hits the spot. If your allergic to dogs, please be aware that people will bring their animals in there and some can be aggressive.

Service was good and I love the seating. Very specifically the chairs at the tables lol…read more It's convenient and a decent regular coffee or cappuccino. Pastries are cool

Pretty good coffee. Nice environment and the baristas were friendly. Private underground parking…read moreand plenty of street parking.